Tax Extension Request Letter (Form 4868)
Cover letter accompanying Form 4868 extension request — buys time to file, NOT time to pay.
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Jordan Alex Taylor
482 Elm Street, Apt 3B, Portland, OR 97214
Date: May 4, 2026
Internal Revenue Service
(filing centre per Form 4868 instructions for your state)
Re: Application for Automatic Extension — Form 4868
Tax year: 2025
Taxpayer: Jordan Alex Taylor
SSN: XXX-XX-1289
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Dear Sir or Madam,
Enclosed please find Form 4868 (Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return) for tax year 2025.
This extension is automatic upon timely filing of Form 4868 — no IRS approval letter is required. The new filing deadline for the return is October 15, 2026 (six months after the original April 15 deadline, or the next business day if October 15 falls on a weekend or DC holiday).
ESTIMATED TAX SUMMARY
Estimated total 2025 tax liability: $14,200.00
Less: federal withholding + Q1-Q4 estimates: $11,800.00
Less: payment enclosed with this Form 4868: $2,400.00
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Estimated balance after this payment: $0.00
REASON FOR EXTENSION
Awaiting K-1s from two pass-through entities (LLC and S-corp) where year-end financials are still being finalised. The K-1s are expected by mid-July; an extension to October 15 ensures the return can be filed accurately rather than amended later.
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IMPORTANT — EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE, NOT TIME TO PAY
Form 4868 extends the FILING deadline only. Any tax owed remains due on the original April 15 deadline; amounts unpaid after that date accrue:
• Interest at the federal short-term rate plus 3% (currently approximately 8% annually, adjusted quarterly).
• Failure-to-pay penalty at 0.5% per month on the unpaid balance (capped at 25%).
The failure-to-FILE penalty (5% per month, capped at 25%) is suspended by Form 4868 — but the failure-to-PAY penalty continues to accrue until the balance is paid.
To minimise penalties, taxpayers should pay their best estimate of the balance with Form 4868 (as enclosed above). Any over-payment is refunded with the eventual return.
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CONTACT
Please direct any questions to the address above. We expect to file the complete return by October 15, 2026.
Thank you,
_______________________________ Date: ____________________
Jordan Alex Taylor
Prepared by: Self-prepared
Enclosures:
□ Form 4868 (Application for Automatic Extension)
□ Payment of $2,400.00 (check or electronic confirmation)
About this template
Form 4868 grants U.S. individual taxpayers an automatic six-month extension of the FILING deadline — moving April 15 to October 15. It is automatic and unconditional: timely-filed Form 4868 (paper-mailed by April 15 with postmark, or e-filed by April 15 11:59 PM local time) extends the deadline regardless of reason, and the IRS does not issue an approval. The most-misunderstood feature is that Form 4868 does NOT extend the deadline to PAY taxes owed — it only extends the deadline to FILE the return. Tax owed but unpaid after April 15 begins accruing interest (federal short-term rate + 3%, adjusted quarterly, currently around 8% annualised) and the failure-to-pay penalty of 0.5% per month (capped at 25%). What Form 4868 DOES suspend is the much harsher failure-to-FILE penalty, which is 5% per month (capped at 25%) — ten times the failure-to-pay rate. So even taxpayers who cannot pay should file Form 4868 to avoid the failure-to-file penalty. The form itself is short: name, address, SSN, estimated total tax, total payments to date, and the balance enclosed. To minimise interest and penalties, pay your best estimate of the balance with the extension. Over-payments are refunded after the return is filed; underestimates accrue interest only on the underpayment, not on the full balance. Special automatic extensions exist for taxpayers abroad on April 15 (two months automatic, no form needed) and for combat-zone deployments (180-day automatic).
When to use it
- You will not have all your tax documents (K-1s, 1099s, foreign-account info) by April 15.
- Your tax preparer is overbooked and cannot complete your return by April 15.
- You expect a complex return (S-corp, partnership, foreign income) and need preparation time.
- You're facing a personal/family emergency near the filing deadline.
- You're overseas on April 15 (you also get the automatic two-month no-form extension to June 15, but Form 4868 still extends to October 15).
What to include
- Taxpayer (and spouse) name and SSN.
- Tax year for which extension is requested.
- Estimated total tax for the year.
- Payments already made (withholding + quarterly estimates).
- Payment enclosed (best estimate of balance).
- New filing deadline (October 15 or earlier).